VANCOUVER -- Carl Robinsons message was clear enough: Respect your opponents, but dont fear them. Andrew Ference Jersey . Even though the Vancouver Whitecaps (5-2-5) will be playing in a hostile environment at PPL Park, the team will carry a swagger into its Major League Soccer road game Saturday against the Philadelphia Union (3-7-5). "No game is easy," Robinson said earlier this week after the Whitecaps practised at the University of British Columbia. "There is no fear on this squad because they are playing well. "We will make them aware of how good Philadelphia are, because they are a good team. They havent picked up the results they probably want recently. .... But my players will never play with fear as long as Im here. Its important they go out and enjoy themselves. If they enjoy themselves they express themselves. If they express themselves, we play with a freedom and I think you can see an excitement in their football." The Whitecaps looked to be enjoying themselves in their final practice before leaving for Philadelphia. Several players engaged in a water fight which ended with English midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker emptying a cooler of ice water on Ghanian midfielder Gershon Koffie. Robinson looked on with a smile. The Whitecaps have earned the right to feel good about themselves. Their record gives them 20 points, good enough for fourth place in the Western Conference. Vancouver is coming off a 4-3 road victory over the Portland Timber last weekend, the first time the Whitecaps have beaten their Cascadia rivals in MLS play. Vancouver is unbeaten in six MLS games (3-0-3). The Whitecaps have scored 14 goals during that span, and only once managed fewer than two in a game. Vancouver also has two wins and a tie in their last three road games. While things are good, they could be better. The Whitecaps were up 4-1 against Portland but had to hold onto the victory. Vancouver has also allowed 11 goals over the last six games. "I think we can go to another level," said Robinson. "We have to tidy up a few things (defensively). We have to make sure we get back to basics on that and we will, without losing our attacking edge." The Union have struggled this season. They sit eighth in the Eastern Conference with 14 points but snapped a two-game losing skid with a 3-0 win over Chivas USA last weekend. Sebastien Le Toux, the French forward who has missed the last two Philadelphia matches with an injury, believes the team can still turn its season around. "I think its important to stay positive and keep working hard all the time," Le Toux, who could be in the lineup against Vancouver, told the Union website. "We havent had the type of start we were hoping for. "We just need to keep working and get this going in a good direction. We need to work as hard as we possibly can. We just have to find ways to do it on the field. I know we have the guys in here who can do it and we have be determined." One of the Whitecaps enjoying a breakout season is Erik Hurtado. The 23-year-old midfielder/forward scored once against Portland and drew a foul to set up another goal on a penalty kick. He also has scored a goal in the last four of Vancouvers games. Drafted fifth overall in last years MLS SuperDraft, the native of Fredericksburg, Va., struggled during his rookie season. He had speed to burn but sometimes looked like an unguided missile. He also had a heavy second touch on the ball. This year Hurtados play is more directed. Hes able to get open and can feather passes to his teammates. "Im more mature as a player," Hurtado said. "Ive learned in the centre-forward role how to move off the ball, how to get the ball in good places with space to turn, how to play off the defenders back, what runs to make." Whitecaps captain Jay DeMerit said Hurtados game is evolving. "Everyone has seen his raw talent over the last year," said DeMerit. "Now hes staring to rein that in a little bit more. "Hes starting to figure out what hes good at and what he can hurt defenders with. When he was able to figure that out, and control his game a little bit more, hes consistently got better." The game against the Union will be the Whitecaps last before the MLS breaks for the World Cup in Brazil. It will also be Vancouvers third road match in four games. DeMerit expects a physical match. "They are a fairly big team," he said. "You might have to do some set pieces and make sure we are tight there. "Its a long way from home so we have to make sure we are up and ready for it and start the game right. A lot of times in these away games . . . sometimes you start a little flat. I think for us its about making sure that doesnt happen, make sure we are ready from the whistle to do combat in our style of game. When weve been able to do that, home or away, we have seemed to get the right results, so that has to continue." Adam Larsson Jersey .Y. -- Cory Schneider has to make the most of his opportunities to guard the New Jersey Devils net to earn more playing time. Ryan Smyth Jersey . In fact, with a few improvements, this could very well be a decent team over the next few seasons. I will go into more detail when digging into the Canucks Off-Season Game Plan, which will be coming earlier this year since they are part of the non-playoff contingent, there are some reasons to think this is a favourable situation for President of Hockey Operations Trevor Linden and whomever he selects to be the new general manager. http://www.hockeyoilersshop.com/cam-talbot-jersey/ . Meeks has agreed to a $19.5 million, three-year deal with Detroit, a person familiar with the situation said Tuesday night. The person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because free agents cant sign contracts until the leagues moratorium ends July 10, also said Cartier Martin had agreed to a one-year contract with the rebuilding franchise.ARLINGTON, Texas -- Mitch Moreland will be the guy at first base for Texas if Prince Fielders neck problem keeps him out for any length of time. His bat was a big boost a few hours after a players-only meeting for a slumping team trying to halt a slide down the AL West standings. Moreland hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning, Alex Rios had a two-run triple and the Rangers avoided a three-game sweep with a 6-2 victory against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. "Id like to see him do that more often, then he can get more playing time," manager Ron Washington said after Moreland doubled in his final at-bat. "Mitch is a big part and today he stepped up huge for us." Washington expects Fielder to play in the next game Tuesday night against Seattle after he had an injection designed to ease the pain and pressure of a disk problem in his neck that he says goes back to last season. If the outlook on Fielder changes, Moreland says his approach wont. "Weve had to deal with adversity all year," said Moreland, whose second homer of the season was a line drive just over the wall in right field off R.A. Dickey (4-4) to break a 2-all tie. "You come in every day ready to play." The Rangers, who snapped a four-game losing streak and stayed seven games behind Oakland in fourth place in the AL West, had gone 23 innings without an extra-base hit when Rios drove one off the right-centre wall in the fourth. Juan Francisco and Edwin Encarnacion homered for the Blue Jays, who had won a franchise-record six straight in Texas, including a four-game sweep in their only visit last year. "Great teams find a way to sweep series," Dickey said. "Were definitely going in the right direction, but theres more there that we need to do. Today was a game we probably should have won." The Rangers were in position to add to the lead Moreland gave them in the seventh when Toronto manager John Gibbons got the Blue Jays out of the jam with a challenge after three previous visits with umpires ended without a video review. Mark Messier Jersey. . Michael Choice lined out to Francisco, who tagged third base with his glove as Robinson Chirinos was diving back to the bag. Dale Scott called Chirinos safe, but a review lasting nearly 3 minutes overturned it and gave Toronto an inning-ending double play. Gibbons move ended up not mattering much when Shin-Soo Choo and Adrian Beltre had run-scoring hits in the eighth. Moreland hit his second homer of the season after Rios just beat Franciscos throw for an error on one of the plays Gibbons considered challenging. Toronto had a season-high four errors. Texas rookie right-hander Nick Martinez left with a 2-1 lead after five innings but lost the chance for his first big league win on Encarnacions ninth homer, a shot to left field off Aaron Poreda in the sixth. Poreda (2-0) ended up getting the win after a scoreless seventh, and closer Joakim Soria pitched a shaky but scoreless ninth in a non-save situation on his 30th birthday. Franciscos home run into the upper deck in right field was among four hits allowed by Martinez in a solid outing that should give him a chance to stay in the rotation with four Texas starters on the disabled list. He had never pitched above Double-A before this year. "Each time he takes the ball its an experience for him," Washington said. "He knew where we were today and he did a good job just getting us through as many pitches as he could handle." Dickey allowed three hits and four runs in falling to 12-12 against the team that drafted him and gave him his first shot in the majors 13 years ago. NOTES: Rangers 2B Rougned Odor was a late scratch with a sore right wrist. He was replaced in the No. 9 spot by Luis Sardinas. ... Sunday marked the first of nine day games in a stretch of 14 for the Rangers. That hasnt happened since 1984. ... Julio Franco, who spent five of his 23 seasons in Texas and was 49 when he played his final game in 2007, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Cheap Canadiens Jerseys Cheap Predators Jerseys Cheap Devils Jerseys Cheap Islanders Jerseys Cheap Rangers Jerseys Cheap Senators Jerseys Cheap Flyers Jerseys Cheap Penguins Jerseys Cheap Sharks Jerseys Cheap Blues Jerseys Cheap Lightning Jerseys Cheap Maple Leafs Jerseys Cheap Canucks Jerseys Cheap Golden Knights Jerseys Cheap Capitals Jerseys Cheap Winnipeg Jets Jerseys ' ' '